The fastest direct run from Meerut City Jn (MTC) is the 22457 Anand Vihar Terminal-Dehradun Vande Bharat, leaving at 18:38 and reaching Dehradun (DDN) at 22:35 (3h 57m, 6 days a week, not Thursday). The 12055 New Delhi-Dehradun Jan Shatabdi also runs from MTC, leaving at 16:34 and reaching DDN at 21:05 (4h 31m, daily).
NDA coaching for Meerut students
Live and train in Dehradun, the home of the Indian Military Academy. Students from Meerut join residential NDA, CDS and SSB batches with hostel and mess on campus.
FromMeerut
~192 km by road (estimate)
ToDehradun campus
For Meerut families
Everything that changes when you join from Meerut.
Local facts for families travelling to Dehradun: travel, exam centre and schools.
UTC lists a Dehradun ISBT-Agra route via Meerut and a Delhi Kashmiri Gate-Mussoorie route via Meerut. Service class (ordinary, AC or Volvo) and timings are not verified, so check utconline.uk.gov.in.
Meerut was a UPSC NDA (II) 2026 centre, and a CDS (II) 2026 centre as well.
Nearest: Sainik School Kunjpura (Haryana), about 102 km in a straight line.
RIMC's admission page says one vacancy per State is generally allotted, with up to two for larger States, and its visible text gives no Uttar Pradesh figure. From the December 2026 cycle applications are online through NTA (exams.nta.nic.in/RIMCEE/), the written test is held at NTA centres and the age window is 12½ to 14 years.
Meerut Cantonment is described as one of India's largest cantonments, and Meerut was one of the first places where the 1857 rebellion began.
Sources & verification
Facts verified on October 6, 2026. Train times must be re-checked on IRCTC/NTES before travel; road distance and drive time are routing estimates.
- https://www.upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/Notif-NDA-II-2026-Engl-200526.pdf
- https://www.upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/Notif-CDS-II-2026-Engl-200526.pdf
- https://rimc.edu.in/admission.aspx
- https://rimc.edu.in/notice.aspx
- https://www.sainikschoolsociety.in/our-schools
- https://www.sainikschoolsociety.in/our-schools/new-schools
- https://router.project-osrm.org/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meerut
- https://erail.in/rail/getTrains.aspx?Station_From=MTC&Station_To=DDN&DataSource=0&Language=0&Cache=true
- https://utconline.uk.gov.in/route.aspx
Admission
Four steps from enquiry to joining.
Counselling call
Tell us the class and the entry. We suggest the right batch and share the fee sheet on WhatsApp.
Campus visit or video tour
Visit the classrooms, hostel and mess, or ask for a live video tour if travelling is not possible yet.
Admission & documents
Fill the admission form, share the documents and pay the registration fee.
Joining day
Arrive in Dehradun; your room, kit list and timetable are ready on the first day.
Courses
What students from here join for.
NDA
National Defence Academy and Naval Academy (NDA and NA) Examination
For students after Class 12. Unmarried women can sit the same UPSC examination.
NDA-F
NDA Foundation Course with Class 11-12 schooling, hostel and mess
For students who have passed Class 10 and want schooling and NDA preparation in one programme.
NDA-CRASH
NDA one-month crash course
A short revision batch for candidates who have already covered the syllabus.
CDS
Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination: IMA, INA, AFA and OTA
For graduates and final-year degree students. Women can apply for OTA.
CDS-F
CDS Foundation Course
A longer, foundation-style CDS programme for degree students who start early.
AFCAT
Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT)
For graduates aiming at commissioned entries in the Indian Air Force.
SSB
Services Selection Board (SSB) interview preparation
For candidates who have an SSB call-up or are close to one.
TES
Army 10+2 Technical Entry Scheme (TES) and Navy 10+2 B.Tech Cadet Entry: SSB preparation
These entries are shortlisted on JEE (Main) marks, so the coaching here is the SSB.
MNS
Military Nursing Service (MNS) B.Sc Nursing entrance preparation
For women who want to join the B.Sc Nursing course of the Military Nursing Service.
IMU
Indian Maritime University Common Entrance Test (IMU-CET)
For Class 12 students aiming at IMU programmes and a career at sea.
MERCHANT
Merchant Navy entrance preparation
For Class 12 students exploring Merchant Navy entries through IMU and shipping-sector routes.
RIMC
Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC) entrance preparation
For students in Class VII who want admission to Class VIII at RIMC, Dehradun.
SAINIK
All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination (AISSEE) preparation
For students seeking Class VI or Class IX entry to a Sainik School.
RMS
Rashtriya Military Schools Common Entrance Test (RMS CET) preparation
For students aiming at Class VI or Class IX entry to a Rashtriya Military School.
AGNI
Agniveer (Army, Navy, Air Force) and Coast Guard entry preparation
For Class 10 and Class 12 candidates aiming at Agniveer and Coast Guard entries.
Questions from Meerut parents
Ask on WhatsAppHow far is Meerut from the academy?
About 192 km by road, which is roughly 2.7 hours without heavy traffic. The fastest direct train takes 3h 57m.
Do we need to go to Delhi to catch a Dehradun train?
No. The 22457 Vande Bharat and the 12055 Jan Shatabdi are both listed with a departure from Meerut City Jn, at 18:38 and 16:34 respectively.
Is Meerut an NDA exam centre?
Yes. UPSC listed Meerut as a centre for NDA (II) 2026 and CDS (II) 2026, so students can write the paper at home.
What if the Vande Bharat is not running that day?
It does not run on Thursdays. Use the Jan Shatabdi, which runs daily, or a road option. Confirm both before travelling.
Can girls from Meerut join the academy?
Yes. The academy has a separate girls' hostel, and unmarried women are eligible for the UPSC NDA examination. Our NDA for girls page has the details.
Admissions